Combined garment and tent



Dec 30, 1941'. A. TILL COMBINED GARMENT AND TENT 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledNov. 22, 1940 ZtI'W/S 4. 7744.

INVENTOR. BY 5% x Dec. 1941- L. A. TILL ,268,317

COMBINED GARMENT AND TENT Filed Nov. 22, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Lf/V/S A771.4.

INVENTOR.

1 BY 5 1w T/VESS.

' ATZ'OE/VZYF.

Dec. 30, 1941. L. A. TILL COMBINED GARMENT AND TENT 4 Sheets-Sheet 3Filed Nov. 22, 1940 W/ TA L 5S" Dec. 30, 1941. L, A. TILL COMBINEDGARMENT AND TENT Filed Nov. 22, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 a3 FIG/0 FIG. 12.

INVENTOR.

OWYS.

Patented Dec. 30, 1941 UNlTED STATES PATENT DFFICE 8 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in combinationdevices and more particularly it pertains to an article which may beused as a body garment and which may be combined with a second articleof identical form and employed therewith to form a tent of suflicientsize to accommodate two persons.

The device of the present invention is particularly adaptable to use bygroups of men such as soldiers, field workers or the like. In use, eachmember of the group is provided with one of the articles which mayprovide for the individual, a storm garment similar to a rain coat orwind-proof garment.

The article may be Worn as a garment or rolled into compact form andcarried in any conventional manner by the individual.

It is contemplated that as occasion may require, two individuals of agroup may combine their articles thus providing a tent of sufiicientsize to accommodate both members of the group who have contributed theirrespective articles to use as a tent.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an article of theaforementioned character which may be conveniently worn as a garment byan individual without hampering or restricting the individuals use ofhis arms and legs.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein the article is illustrated in bothforms of its uses, the article is also shown in spread out form in orderthat a clear understanding of its construction may be had.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan View of a combination article constructed inaccordance with the present invention,

Figure 2 is an enlarged plan view partly broken away of on corner of themain body portion of the article,

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 illustrating the reverse side ofthat portion of the article illustrated in Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a perspective view ilustrating the manner in which thearticle may be employed as a garment for protecting the upper bodyportion of the wearer with skirt-like extensions encompassing thewearers lower limbs,

Figure 5 is a view in front elevation illustrating another manner inwhich the garment may be worn,

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken substantially on theline 6-6 of Figure 5,

Figure 7 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale takensubstantially on the line 7-4 of Figure 5,

Figure 8 is a view in side elevation partly in section illustrating themanner in which two of the articles are employed to form a tent,

Figure 9 is a fragmentary top plan view of Figure 8 on an enlargedscale,

Figure 10 is a detail sectional view on an enlarged scale takensubstantially on the line IO-Hl of Figure 9.

Figure 11 is a detail transverse sectional view taken through one of thelacing grummets or eyelets,

Figure 12 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale showingthe manner in which a rifle may be employed in lieu of poles or posts insupporting the tent-like structure in upright position, and;

Figure 13 is a perspective view of one of the articles and a set ofsupporting posts and poles in its rolled or packed form.

Referring to the drawings by reference character and particularly toFigures 1 through 3, the article consists of a main body portion Aformed of any suitable water-proof fabric.

The main body portion A is of rectangular form and is preferablyconstructed of two sections I5 and 16 secured together by a central seamI1. One side edge It! is formed by a hem or the like l9 and extendingalong the oppositely disposed side edge 2% there is a lacing strip 2!which has a plurality of lacing eyelets 22. The lacing eyelets 22 may beof any desired character. I prefer, however, to make them in the form ofgrummets 23 as illustrated in Figure 2. Adjacent the transverse centerof the main body portion A and extending from the edge thereof, thereare two tabs 24. One of these tabs 24 carries the head member 25 of ahead and socket fastening, the other tab carrying the socket member 26of said fastening.

Adjacent the right hand tab 24 in Figure 1 and positioned between it andthe seam [1, there is a head member 2! of a head and socket fasteningand adjacent the left hand tab 24, there is another similar head member28 of a head and socket fastening. In the upper corner upon its inner orrear face, the body portion A is provided with a pocket 29 shown indotted lines in Figures 1 and 2 and in full lines in Figure 3. Thispocket has a closing flap 30 and is adapted to receive a lacing element4!, preferably in the form of a flexible cord which may be rolled andplaced within the pocket as illustrated at 32 in Figure 3.

As best illustrated in Figures and 12, the lacing element 3| is passedthrough the end eyelet adjacent the pocket 29 and is knotted as at 33upon each side of said eyelet, the knots 33 being formed approximatelymidway between the ends of the lacing element 3 I.

Projecting from each end of the main body portion, there is a wingmember 35. These wing members 35 are substantially triangular in shapeand are secured to the ends of the main body portion A along their baseedges 35 by means of stitching or the like 31. Eachof these end wingmembers is provided with a strap 38 connected at its one end to one ofthe side edges of the wing members as at 39 and one of the side wingmembers as for example the right hand wing member in Figure l, isprovided with an angularly extending rifle barrel receiving pocket 48.

The reference numeral 4| designates the socket member of a head andsocket fastening which is carried by one of the wing members 35, and 42designates a head member adapted to be received within the socket member4|, said head member being carried by the other of the wing members 35as illustrated in Figure 1. These members 41 and 42 are carried in theupper corners of the wing members 35 and carried in the lower corner ofthe right hand wing member 35, there is a socket member 43 of a head andsocket fastener and in the lower corner of th left hand wing member 35,there is a head member 44 which is adapted to cooperate with the socketmember 43 to form a separable fastener. At the outer corner of each ofthe wing members 35, which outer corner I will hereinafter refer to asthe apex of each wing member, ther is a socket member 45 which socketmembers are adapted to cooperate with the head members 21 and 28heretofore mentioned to form separable fasteners.

At each end of the lacing strip 2|, there is a small metallic clipmember 48 and each of these clip members 48 has an elongated opening orslot 49 therein.

I will now describe the manner in which the article may be employed as abody garment.

The article being unrolled, it is draped over the shoulders with theseam I! extending substantially down the middle of the back of thewearer. The two tabs 24 are then brought into overlying relation asillustrated in Figure 4 and the separable fastener, formed by themembers and 26 of the tabs, is closed thus causing a draping of thearticle around the shoulders and upper body of the wearer as illustratedin Figure 4. In this position the main body portion A provides a garmentfor the upper body portion of the wearer while the wing members formskirt-like extensions thereof.

If desired, the garment may be worn in this position in which case thehead and socket members 4| and 42 would be engaged with each other asillustrated at B in Figure 5.

When worn in the above described manner, the article would provide astorm garment which protects both the upper body portion and the lowerlimbs of the wearer.

If, for example as in marching, it might not be desirable to have thewing members extending down in skirt-like extensions, they may begathered under the main body portion A of the article and lie between itand the upper body portion of the wearer and secured in said position.

The manner in which this is accomplished will now be described.

With the article in position as illustrated-in Figure 4, the apex of theleft hand wing member is brought up to position beneath the main bodyportion A of the article and its socket member is engaged with the headmember 21 to form a separable fastener as heretofore mentioned. Afterthis has been done, the other wing member 35 is folded upwardly underthe main body portion A and its socket member 45 is engaged with thehead member 28 to provide a separable fastener as heretofore mentioned.

This last described position of the garment is illustrated in Figure 5and it will be noted that when worn in this manner, the wing members 35overlie each other to form a double protection across the chest andabdominal portions of the wearer.

I will now describe the manner in which two of the articles heretoforedescribed are employed to provide a tent. When employed as a garment thelacing element 3| heretofore mentioned remains in its pocket 29. Whenemployed together with another article to form a tent, one end of thelacing element forms one-half, of a lacing means for securing thearticles together.

When employed as a tent, the lacing strips 2| of the two articles areplaced in overlying relation and the lacing element of each is lacedthrough the registering eyelets as at C in Figure 10 in the directionfrom the outer ends toward the center of the tent, at which point thetwo lacing elements are tied together in a knot 50 as illustrated inFigures 8 and 9.

By reference to Figures 8 and 9, it will be apparent that the tent issupported in its set-up position by sectional poles 5| each of whichcomprises three sections detachably secured together by sleeves, socketsor the like 52. The upper section 53 of each of these poles has asquared end 54 as best illustrated in Figure 13 and these squared ends54 are for reception in the slots 49 of the metal clips 48 in order toprovide attaching means for the upper end of the poles to the tent.

It will be remembered that the knots 33 of the lacing elements wereformed intermediate of its ends and this construction permits of use ofone end of the lacing element as a guy rope for one end of the tent asillustrated at 56 in Figure 8, it being understood that the guy rope ispassed around a stake and secured and made taut by means of aconventional rope clamp 51. There being two articles when employed as atent, it will be obvious that the two guy ropes shown in Figure 8 willbe provided since there is a free end of the lacing element of eacharticle.

Corner stakes 59 are also provided, which corner stakes may be passedthrough loops 58 extending from the plain edge of the body portion A atthe ends thereof.

When two of the articles have been combined to form the tent, the wingmembers of the two articles cooperate to form the walls of the tent,

the main body portion of the articles forming the top and sides thereof,and the straps 38 heretofore mentioned may be employed to tie the wingmembers together to close the ends of the tent.

In Figure 12 I have illustrated the manner in which a pair of rifles maybe employed as supporting poles for the tent and in this adaptation ofthe device the muzzles of the barrels of the rifles are inserted in thepockets 48 heretofore mentioned which not only serve to attach the tentto the rifles but also to protect the muzzles of the rifles from theweather, it being obvious that the remainder of the rifle barrels andthe stocks thereof will be within the confines of the tent when the sameis set-up. When employed in this manner, the slots 49 in the metal clips48 receive the elements 60 employed to secure a bayonet, not shown, tothe rifles.

In Figure 13, one complete kit is shown in rolled form and I will nowdescribe the manner in which this is accomplished.

A complete kit consists of one article, one pole and three stakes. Asheretofore stated, the pole is sectional and may be separated into threesections and together with the stakes, of which there are also three,are rolled within the article which is rolled up in the followingmanner.

In rolling the article it is laid out flat as illustrated in Figure 1,after which the wing members are folded inwardly of the body portion,the rifle barrel pocket 48 being also folded inwardly of its respectivewing member, After the wing members have been folded in, the article isthen folded in half upon the seam I! after which the stakes and polesections are placed in position and the article is rolled thereabout. Itmay be retained in its rolled form in any desired manner or it may bepacked in a knapsack or the like merely in its rolled form Without beingsecured.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the present inventionprovides a combination article which may be used singly to provide agarment for personal wear and which may be used in combination with asimilar article to provide a tent of suflicient size to house twopersons.

The construction by which this result is obtained has many advantages,the most pertinent of which I will now describe.

It provides for each member of a company of soldiers for example, agarment to protect him against foul Weather. It provides him with thenecessary equipment when combined with a similar equipment of anothersoldier to provide shelter in the form of a tent for both.

Furthermore, the article is so constructed as not to be unduly bulkyeither in its compact form or when employed as a body garment, and stillfurther and most important, when worn as a body garment it permits offree and unhampered movement of the limbs of the wearer.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new, is:

l. A combination article of the type described comprising a main bodyportion of rectangular form having a plain side edge and an oppositelydisposed lacing side edge, a lacing strip having lacing eyeletsextending along the lacing edge of the body portion, a pair of spacedtabs projecting from the lacing edge of the rectangular body portion andarranged one upon each side of the transverse center of the main bodyportion, means carried by said tabs for detachably securing themtogether to form a neck encircling portion centrally disposed withrespect to the ends of the lacing edge of the main body portion and todrape the main body portion around the shoulders of the wearer, and asubstantially triangular wing member secured to and projecting from eachend of the main body portion.

2. A combination article of the type described comprising a main bodyportion of rectangular form having a plain side edge and an oppositelydisposed lacing side edge, a lacing strip having lacing eyeletsextending along the lacing edge of the body portion, a pair of spacedtabs projecting from the lacing edge of the rectangular body portion andarranged one upon each side of the transverse center of the main bodyportion, means carried by said tabs for detachably securing themtogether to form a neck encircling portion centrally disposed withrespect to the ends of the lacing edge of the main body portion and todrape the main body portion around the shoulders of the wearer, asubstantially triangular wing member secured to and projecting from eachend of the main body portion, and means carried by the triangular wingmembers for detachably connecting them together to secure the main bodyportion and the triangular wing members in body enveloping position.

3. A combination article of the type described comprising a main bodyportion of rectangular form having a plain side edge and an oppositelydisposed lacing side edge, a'lacing strip having lacing eyeletsextending along the lacing edge of the body portion, a pair of spacedtabs projecting from the lacing edge of the rectangular body portion andarranged one upon each side of the transverse center of the main bodyportion, means carried by said tabs for detachably securing themtogether to form a neck encircling portion centrally disposed withrespect to the ends of the lacing edge of the main body portion and todrape the main body portion around the shoulders of the wearer, asubstantially triangular wing member extending from each end of the mainbody portion, said wing members being secured to the main body portionalong their base edges, means carried by the wing members for detachablyconnecting them together to secure the wing members and main bodyportion in body enveloping position, and separate means for securing thewing members in body encircling position beneath the main body portion.

4. A combination article of the type described comprising a main bodyportion of rectangular form having a plain side edge and an oppositelydisposed lacing side edge, a lacing strip having lacing eyeletsextending along the lacing edge of the body portion, a pair of spacedtabs projecting from the lacing edge of the rectangular body portion andarranged one upon each side of the transverse center of the main bodyportion,

means carried by said tabs for detachably securing them together to forma neck encircling portion centrally disposed with respect to the ends ofthe lacing edge of the main body portion and to drape the main bodyportion around the shoulders of the wearer, a substantially triangularwing member extending from each end of the main body portion, said wingmembers being secured to the main body portion along their base edges,means carried by the wing members for detachably connecting themtogether to secure the wing members and the main body portion in bodyenveloping position, and separate means for securing the wing members inbody encircling position beneath the main body portion, said lastmentioned means comprising one element of a separable fastener carriedby each wing member at the apex thereof and cooperating elements of aseparable fastener arranged one upon each side of the transverse centerof the main body portion on the lacing edge thereof.

5. A combination article of the type described comprising in combinationa main body portion of rectangular form having a plain side edge and anoppositely disposed lacing side edge, a lacing strip having lacingeyelets extending along the lacing edge of the main body portion, alacing element permanently attached at one of its ends to the main bodyportion at one end thereof adjacent the lacing strip and a lacingelement receiving pocket carried by the main body portion closelyadjacent the point of attachment of the lacing element thereto.

6. A combination article of the type described comprising incombination, a main body portion of rectangular form having a plain sideedge and an oppositely disposed lacing side edge, a lacing strip havinglacing eyelets extending along the lacing edge of the main body portion,a substantially triangular wing member secured to and projecting fromeach end of the main body portion, and a rifle barrel receiving pocketcarried by and extending from one edge of one of the triangular wingmembers.

7. A combination article of the type described comprising incombination, a main body portion of rectangular form having a plain sideedge and an oppositely disposed lacing side edge, a lacing strip havinglacing eyelets extending along the lacing edge of the main body portion,a slotted clip secured to the body portion and to the lacing strip ateach end thereof, a substantially triangular wing member secured to andprojecting from each end of the main body portion, and a rifle barrelreceiving pocket carried by and extending from one edge of one of thetriangular wing members.

8'. A combination article of the type described comprising incombination, a main body portion of rectangular from having a plain sideedge and an oppositely disposed lacing side edge, a lacing strip havinglacing eyelets extending along the lacing edge of the main body portion,a slotted clip secured to the body portion and to the lacing strip ateach. end thereof, a substantially triangular wing member secured to andprojecting from each end of the main body portion, a rifle barrelreceiving pocket carried by and extending from one edge of one of thetriangular wing members, and a lacing element attached intermediate ofits ends to one end of the lacing strip.

LEWIS A. TILL.

